Folding umbrella.



v Patented Apr. 3. I900. D.'CARPENTER.

FOLDING UMBRELLA, (Application filed. Nov 29, 1897.)

. Sheefiv-Sheet I.

( No Model.)

WITNESSES Patented Apr. 3," I900.

0. QARPENTER. FOLDING UMBRELLA.

(Application filed Nov. 29, 1897. (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Shut 2.

F1 Z7 WITNESSES. m I IJVVEJVTOR. ZZZ g w z .dttorney UNITED, STATES PATENT -FFICE.

DELo's CARPENTER, or ORION. MIoHIGAN;

FO D M REL A-J SPECIFIGATIQN ormin part of ifaetters stea 646,725, dated April a, 1906. A pli ation filed November 29 1897. Serial No. 60,051, model.) I

. Be it known that I, DELQs OAR PENTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orion,

-. county of Oakland,iSftate of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Umbrellas; and I declare the following to, be a full,.clear,.and exact de=-' script-ionof. the invention, such aswill enable others .skilled. in the art-to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which 7 formapart ofthis'specification.- f

:My invention has for its object certain new and useful improvements in umbrellas; and

it consists more particularly of a-foldingumbrella of novel construction and utility.

My invention consists of the construction,

combination, and-. arrangement of devices hereinafter described andclaimed, and illustrated'. in the accompanying drawings," in

' Figure 1 is a View of lan umbrella-frame,

showing parts in vertical section and parts -,'inelevationv Fig. .2 is' an enlarged view,

an enlarged view of portions of the ferrules D and Ewith the inner. rods and their'con-- nections. .Fig.; 5 is-a detailviewshowing a bayonetejoint of the upper umbrella-rod with the adjacentferrula Fig. 6 is aside eleva tion of the features-of the device illustrated in Fig. .2... Fig. -7 is a .detail, view of the handle, onstick of the umbrella shown' -in eleva-.

tion and partly in section,"showing the ferrules in placeto hold the handle in rigid position. Fig. Sis aside elevation showing the ferrules moved into? position to permit the folding ofthe inner" portions of-the handle, and-Fig. 9 shows the handleiu partially-folded position The aim f my'lnventlon is to provide-a 'fold'inguin-brella;whiclrmayreadily be folded pi f p ct .I'Q veniently and quickly be folded and erected.

:and which may? cone in the form of the'jusualumbrella for use, the

.ulmj' e a .W QBE were; fere eing firm." at every'rart. addict-tit; t fi lappearance.

' The drawings show-the umbrella-cover omitted.

carryout-my invention as follows:

A, Byand 0 represent three portions con stituting'my umbrella-handle proper, said parts A, B, and 0 made of customary tubing or otherwise and jointedly connected at their adjacen'tends, as-by'links, (indicated at CL and 11.) These links may be riveted or otherwise secured with the adjacent parts of the handle.

By means of-this construction the three reds I of the, handle may readily be folded when the joints are free to move. Upon the parts A and B of the handle are sleeved long'fernules', (indicated at D and E.) l Beneath the ferrule E is an-additional ferrule F, stationary upon] the lower end of the"handle.* Theferrules D andE are constructed and arrangedto nor-. mally sleeve over the joints (1, and b in the handle-rods when theumbrella' is in position for use, so as to hold said joints rigid. this position-the ferrules D andE are held in connected position in any suitable manner, as, for example, by a suitable spring-latch, (indicated at e, Figs. 1 and 1,) oneend-of the latch being secured firmly within one of the ferrules, the opposite (as the upper) end of the latch catchingor hooking into the adjacent end of the cor-responding ferrule, the corresponding ferrule .being provided" with any suitable notchjor opening, as at e, for that.

purpose. G denotes theribs, which are formed of two' parts G and G These ribs may be jointedl yconnected at their adjacent ends in any suitable' manner, as'at g, as in the manner,

forex'amp'le, described and shown in a patent granted 't'o-me by the United States Patent Oflic e fora folding umbrella, No. 577,234, dated February 16, 1897, the joint being such that the lower portions G may be folded upwardand out-ward over, and alongside the upper portions GT the upper ends of the portions G beingconnected with a top notch H, as hereinafter-described. My present invention is notv limited to any particular method of constructing the joint connecting the per 'tionseG' and G 1 J. denotes the brace rods, united at their inner extremities to arunner K in a customary manner and at their outer ends with the up: per portions of the ribs, as at j, inany suitable-manned. The runner K is sleeved ioo manner, as indicated at 71-.

upon theferrnle D. A spring-catch L is provided in a customary manner to support the runner. The jointed connection of the brace- .rods with the runner is indicated atj.

A very important feature of my present invention consists in the construct-ion of the head or top notch H and the manner of its connection with other parts of the umbrellaframe, one of my chief objects being to provide a top notch which shall be of small dimensions, and thereby give a tasteful appearance to the umbrella, and yet to provide ample facility for the working of the parts in connection therewith. Instead of employing a chambered top notch, as embodied in my patent above referred to, wherein the upper end of the runner may be received in the operation of the device to permit the braces being thrown sufficiently upward to permit the folding and unfolding of the ribs and to permit the braces J being folded upward and inward alongsidethe folded ribs, I now contemplate a top notch connected, in the instance shown in the accompanying drawings,

with the upper ferrule D at the upper end of said ferrule, the notch being secured over the upper end of the said ferrulein any suitable It will be obvious that in order to fold the ribs and braces upward the runner must be slipped upward upon the sleeve D past the center or. past a horizontal line drawn through the two joints j,'and in order to accomplish this end some expansion must be afforded to the ribs in their connection with the top notch. In dotted lines in Fig. 1 I show the position assumed by the runner whenslipped upiagainst the upper notch into folded position. My present invention therefore contemplates anexpansible top notch, the same being constructed, as shown, of a hollow or tubular body H, secured upon the ferrule D, the notch being constructed with peripheral recesses, (indicated at h,) said recesses opening downward and also opening outward to receive expansible intervening devices or links H, jointedly connected at their upper ends with said recesses,'as indicated at 7L2, forming a. part of thenotch and making the notch'expansible, said links being jointedly connected at their opposite ends, as indicated at h, to the corresponding ribs G. When the runner K is forced upward in passing the center above mentioned, the links H will open outward, thus permitting the runner to pass the center; but when the runner is forced up into contact with the notch H the links H will fold inward and about the upper end of the runner, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. To prevent an undue expansion of the head or of the connection of the ribs therewith,

the top notch is preferably provided with a cap H projecting over the body H. of the notch and into proximity with the upper edges of said recesses to form a stop for the upward movement of said links H The body H of the notch and its cap H maybe held in place upon the ferrule D in any suitable manner; as by a nutH. The notch thus constructed and embodying the links H, united therewith, forms an ekpansible notch and may be of'small dimensions. The notch is preferably constructed with two links H -to engage", each of the portions G of the ribs.

The upper end of the portion A of the bandle-rods, it will be perceived, passes through the notch and through the upper end of the ferrule D and projects thereabove when the umbrella is in expanded position. The lower end of the portion 0 of the handle-rod projects through the lower end of. the ferrule E and is provided with a knob or other suitble hand grasp. To fold up the umbrella, the spring stop or latch at e, is released from the upper ferrule D, and-the handle is then pulled downward, so as to bring the handle-joint a downward in juxtapositionto thejoint of the two ferrules D and E, permitting the handle rods to be folded'at that point, as at the dot ted line 3 3, Fig. '1. The handle is also moved into position where the joint b is in juxtaposition with the joint of the ferrules'E and F,

as at the dotted line indicated at! 4, Fig. 2, permitting the joint of the umbrella-rods to be flexed or bent. The manner of folding up the ribs and braces has already been described. The manner of unfolding and erecting the umbrella for use or of putting it into the condition of an ordinary embrella will readily be understood. The runner is run down upon the adjacent sleeve to the required position, the lower portions of the ribs are folded downward into place, and the jointed portions of the handle-rods are heldin rigid position by suitable movements of the ferrules.

D and E. Should the spring-stop at e be not sufficient to hold the adjacent parts rigid and l firmly as -against a shock or jar upon the up.

wardly-projectin'g end of the umbrella-handle, my invention contemplates constructing the ferrule D witha laterally-projecting orifice (indicated at d, Fig. 5) communicating with the vertical elongated slot d! in said ferrule',--permitting the umbrella-handle to be ,partiallytu rn ed about to engage the upper end of the spring-stop in the 'latera-lly-projectin g orifice. This bayonet-joint will firmly hold the parts under all circumstances. I do not limit myself. however, solely to this construction, as the handle maybe held firmly in position for use in' any suitable manner. The

employmentof the long ferrules D and E with their spring-stop enables me tohold the handle and ferrule in rigid position when set for use.

I prefer that the links connecting theribs with the body of the top notch should be of curved form, so as to close more compactly inward about the upper end of the'runner.

-While I have shown and described in connection with the accompanying drawings my improved expansible top notch connected with the upper, end of a ferrule upon the hair dle-rods, I would have it definitely under tapering device,

- therefore designed stood that-I do not limit the application of my expansible top notch to the ferrule alone, inasmuch as the top 'notch may be used equally well upon handles of other constructions, as uponhandles, for example, like that embodied in my patent above referred to, or still other modificatiohs in the constructions of umbrella -handles, and my invention is for use upon any form or construction of umbrella-handles wherever it may be found applicable and wherever it is desired to have the top notch expand tov receive a runner and to close down compactly when the u mbrella isin position for use,so as to present a neat and tasty appearance, such an appearance requiring a small top notch. It will be perceived that the expansi'ble notch contracts or closes inward at all times ex-' cept when it is desired to expand the same in order to permit the runner to pass the center and allow the umbrella to fold neatly. I do not limit'myself to'any particular number of expansible portions connected to the body of the notch, nor to any particular shape or form of thesame, nor to any specific manner of fastening it in place. The expansible top notch is applicable within the scope of my invention to any folding or telescoping.um-

brella. This head or top notch,-with its cap, may be made in the form of a very neatsmall thereby getting around the objectionable feature of a large head or notch heretofore common in various constructions of umbrellas. Moreover, I would have it definitely understood that I do not limit myself to the construction of my improved head or top notch with the cap as a part thereof, as the cap might be omitted without departing from the scope of my invention, inasmuch as when the cover is on tight or the parts are firmly connected and in place in the complete umbrella, the actions of the ex'pansible fea: tures will govern themselves without requiring at all times the presence of the cap.

' It will be perceived that the three portions or handle-rods A B C of the handle are sleeved through the ferrules D andE, said ferrules simply being held in engagement with said rods by the spring-latch '2, said ferrules thereby stiffening said'handle-rods; By

depressing the spring-latch e the handle-rods A B C may be entirely rules. In this way the handle-rods are separable and detachable entirely from the ferrules, while the lower handle-rod Gralso forms slipped out of said fer-,

or is'made a part of the knob or other similar device. This construction greatly facilitates the construction of the handle as a whole and simplifies and cheapens any repair of these parts of the umbrella.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. In a folding umbrella, the combination of the top notch, the ribs, the runner, andthe braces connecting the runner with the ribs, said runner arranged to slip upward against the notch, and the notch provided with expansible devices connecting the ribs therewith to permit said movement of the runner, and the'notch closing inward about the upper end of the'runner when in a folded position, substantially 'as set forth.

2. In a folding umbrella, the ribs constructed of two jointedly-connected rigid sections permitting the lower sections to fold outward and upward, a top notch provided with ex" pansibl'e devices having'a jointed connection with the upper ends of the upper sections of;

the ribs, permitting the upper section'sto also fold upward, a runner, braces jointedly connecting the runner with the upper sectionsof the ribs, said runner arranged to slide upward past the center to permit the upward folding of the upper sections of the ribs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifica t-ion inthe'prcsence of two witnesses.

- DELOS CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

N. S. Wmcnn. MARY HIGKEY. 

